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As winter break comes to a close, it's time to head back to school for second semester. While this is exciting, there are a few luxuries that you had at home that you have to give up when the semester begins. Here are five of the worst things about going back to school.

1. Getting up early.

During the holidays, we all got used to sleeping in until noon and not having any responsibilities. However, when the semester starts, you'll have to start getting up for 8 AM classes again. On top of that, you might have jobs, study groups or other things that make you get up before noon.

2. Cafeteria food.

The first few days of break were heaven when you got to eat mom's home cooked meals; however after a few weeks, it was easy to slip into a new normal with her delicious food. As soon as you got used to this, it seemed like it was time to head back to cafeteria food. Eating the same meals for weeks on end gets a little old and isn't something most of us look forward to.

3. Having homework.

Being on break was so nice because there were no responsibilities. You could hang out with your friends from high school, have quality family time and go to all your favorite places without having to worry about finishing your paper on time. It's important to remember this was a break and you have to return to the reality of school at some point.

4. Socializing all the time.

College is full of constant socialization. If it's not with your roommate or in classes, it's with people on your floor or other friends that stop by your room. We all got used to this by the end of first semester, but it was nice to get some alone time over winter break.

5. Going back to being a broke college kid.

We all know all too well the struggle of being a broke college kid. It was nice to be living with mom and dad for a few weeks where they would slip you a $20 bill here and there. After going back to school, your holiday gift money will run out and you'll go back to sneaking food out of the cafeteria instead of spending money on snacks for your dorm.

While school is great and there are many things to look forward to, there are always a few things that aren't the best about college. Just remember that it's all part of the college experience, and while being home is awesome, being in college — all these things included — is part of growing up.

Natalie Day is a freshman at Columbia College Chicago and is double majoring in acting and writing. She has traveled to Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and Jamaica for mission trips. Natalie spends her free time binge watching Netflix and working on her life long goal of becoming an old dog lady. Follow Natalie on Twitter and Instagram @nat__day.

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